Imogen Bunting, 46, gets $491 a week through Newstart and her part-time work. She lives in her car and keeps her belongings in a storage shed. She doesn\u2019t earn enough to find another place to live.<\/p>\n
She\u2019s emblematic of a growing problem in Australia \u2013 people who are being squeezed out of their homes because Newstart has not increased while the cost of living continues to rise.<\/p>\n
Newstart equates to less than $40 a day, an amount Australian Council of Social Service social security senior adviser Charmaine Crowe says is totally inadequate, particularly with housing costs rising meteorically around the country.<\/p>\n
\u201cMany people go without other basics such as heating or medication to get by week to week,\u201d she says. \u201cWhat we find is people without paid work, studying or looking after children, and on one of these payments, end up spiralling into a financial crisis.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere\u2019s been a 75 per cent increase in people on Newstart accessing homelessness services.\u201d<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
This article explains where I speak from - I'm thinking circumstances in many ways do define who you are, but they are not, in themselves, who you are. Responding well in crisis should go on my resume: https:\/\/t.co\/dKQvE1Y9nx<\/a> But I really want to return to study. #RaiseTheRate<\/a><\/p>— \ud83c\udf39 Imogen \ud83c\udf39 (@twtrrr) September 6, 2019<\/a><\/blockquote>